The Amulet Chapter 1 (Sequel to Amanda's Pocket Hobbit)
by Bella-and-Genesis
Summary: This time, the roles are reversed- Amanda and Sasha find themselves in the world of Middle-Earth! Why are they there? And how are they going to get back home?
1. Chapter 1

_**The Amulet**_

 _ **Authors Note: Hi! Okay, this story has shorter chapters than Amanda's Pocket Hobbit, but there will be more of them. I did plan it out this time, and I'm going to give myself a month to finish each chapter. That should prevent any more three-month delays in updates. All right, enough chat. Here's the story:**_

Amanda Buckley groaned, throwing off her blanket as the late morning sun poured into her room. She sleepily got dressed, then instinctively looked toward the windowsill. 'Good morning, Pi- oh. I guess it's just good morning, me.'

Amanda walked down the street, her boots crunching on the half-melted snow. Winter was loosening his hold, and spring was beginning to peep through the white curtain.

Soon, the fourteen-year-old girl reached Sasha Dehan's house- her best friend and only sharer in the adventure that had swept her world just a month earlier. She adjusted her favorite red scarf and waited. Sasha wouldn't be long.

Sure enough, Sasha skipped out of her house, looking like a supermodel showing off this year's winter-wear.

'You're ridiculous.' Amanda grumbled good-naturedly as Sasha fell into step beside her.

'And _you're_ grumpy.' Sasha responded airily. Her face then lost its silly look and she asked, 'Any particular reason?'

'No.' Amanda rubbed her arms. 'Not really.'

'Doesn't feel good to have only one friend in the world, does it?' Sasha said. 'Especially after being part of a trio for a while.'

Amanda frowned. 'Wha- how- what?'

Sasha giggled. 'It's not hard to see what's bothering you.' She grew more serious. 'I miss him too, but I think you should move on.'

Amanda started to protest, but Sasha interrupted. 'I'm not saying forget him. You should never forget. But I don't think you'll ever see Pippin again, and you need to start focusing on the real world.' She smiled slyly. 'Some boys have been giving you… looks.'

Amanda scoffed. ' _Looks._ They're far more likely to be looking at you.'

'Aww, you flatter me. Oh look, here we are.'

Amanda looked up to see towering, snow-covered trees. 'The park? Haven't we been here before?'

Sasha pranced forward, light-footed as a deer. 'Don't be such a wet blanket. There aren't many places to hang out around here.'

Amanda shrugged, a smile tugging at her lips, and followed her deeper into the park.

They soon reached a very significant bench.

'And this…' Sasha said dramatically, in a hushed voice, 'is the very bench where a _wizard_ from another dimension appeared, and opened a portal to Middle-Earth.'

Amanda elbowed her friend. 'We know.'

Sasha tilted her head, staring at something on the ground. 'Hey, what's this?' She bent down, and picked up a chunk of wood. It was smooth and carved on top, but jagged around the edges. It didn't look like tree bark.

'It probably just came from the bench.' Amanda said dismissively. But somehow, even to her, that explanation didn't seem adequate. Some weird feeling emanated from the wood, like it wasn't supposed to be there.

'Here, feel it.' Sasha urged. She passed the chunk of wood to Amanda.

In that split second when both their hands were touching the wood, there was a silent but blinding flash, and when it cleared there was nothing there but the chip of wood, falling innocently into the grass.

Amanda sat up, rubbing her head. What had happened? She looked around to see, not the closely-growing trees and clipped grass she remembered, but wide, open, rolling hills.

'Where _am_ I?'

 _ **Author's Note: So yeah, the character of the girls is a little different because of the way they reacted to Pippin leaving. Sasha got sillier, Amanda got grumpier. But she'll perk up, you'll see…**_ __ _ **The next chapter will be out by 9/20/2015, at the latest. If it's not out by then, feel free to verbally beat me up. xD**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**Chapter Two**_

 **Author's Note: Woohoo, I kept my schedule! Who would have thought?**

The two girls were alone, in a strange land. 'Where are we?' Sasha said, blinking confusedly.

Amanda studied the landscape. It was mostly green, rolling hills, but in the distance there was a cluster of circular brown… somethings. Strangely, they all seemed to be branching out of a large hill.

As Amanda kept staring at the mysterious brown objects, something clicked in her brain.

'What is it?' Sasha said expectantly.

Amanda turned around in surprise.

Sasha laughed. 'You have that I-just-figured-something-out face.'

'Well, I _think_ we're in Middle-Earth. Hobbiton, to be precise.' Amanda said.

Sasha's mouth literally fell open. 'But- but how can we possibly-'

Amanda shrugged. 'I don't know. But if Pippin can come to our world, why can't we go to his?' Excitement bubbled up inside her. Pippin! Maybe she could see him again. 'Come on.' She beckoned to her friend. 'If we're really in Middle-Earth, our best bet is to go down there. To Hobbiton.'

The two girls finally reached their destination. Up close, it was definitely Hobbiton. Many round doors opened into a large hill, and cheerful bustling hairy-footed people scurried all around.

'Wow.' Amanda breathed, and Sasha nodded mutely in agreement.

'So, where do we go now?' Sasha asked, laying a hand on Amanda's shoulder.

'Let's go to Pippin's place. He might know what to do, and at the very least we can have a good time.' Amanda decreed.

'Sounds good to me.' Sasha said. 'One small problem. How do we get there? All these doors look the same.'

'Ask the locals!' Amanda said cheerfully. She walked up to a round-faced hobbit woman with braided blonde hair. 'Hello.'

'Hello.' The hobbit looked a little strangely at Amanda's modern attire, but didn't comment on it. 'Do you need something?'

'Yes. Can you tell me how to get to the residence of…' She took a second to remember Pippin's full name. '…Peregrin Took?'

'Oh! He lives just that way. Last hole on the lane.' She pointed. 'But be careful- he's quite strange, that one. Came back from a wander in the forest telling tales of how he landed in an alternate dimension called Earth. Hit his head, if you ask me.' She took a good look at Amanda and Sasha.

Sasha stifled a giggle.

'Thank you.' Amanda said courteously. She pulled Sasha away from the perplexed hobbit and started walking.

'Well, this should be the place.' Amanda said, looking up at a cheerful little hole with the typical round green door. She swung open the gate and headed up the rock pathway with Sasha behind her.

Pausing at the door, she raised a hand to knock, but stopped. What if it wasn't the place? What if this was all a mistake?

'Knock.' Sasha whispered behind her. 'Just knock. _Why aren't you knocking?'_

Amanda let out a deep breath. There was only one way to find out. She stretched out her hand, and knocked three times on the solid wooden door.

The door opened. A familiar face poked out, the expression changing from curious to surprised to happy. 'Amanda! Sasha! What are you doing here?'

Sasha shrugged, 'I have no idea. We were in the park, touched some wood, and ended up in Middle-Earth. So, we decided to come and visit you!

'Well, I'm glad you're here.' Pippin said cheerfully. 'Come on, I'll show you around.'

 _ **Author's Note: Okay, so, the story should pick up from here. I'm pretty much done with the getting-there part, and from now on it'll be more exciting. Now I have 2/3 of the next month to laze around and say 'I'll do it tomorrow' and 1/3 to race around saying 'omigosh I'm gonna miss my deadline!' XD**_

 _ **Next Chapter out by: 10/15/2015**_


	3. Chapter 3

_**Chapter Three**_

'This house is so cute.' Sasha said, stooping to avoid banging her head on the ceiling. 'Everything is so small. It's like kindergarten.'

'Hobbits have the best food.' Amanda said, biting into a roll of bread. 'This is delicious.'

Pippin smiled cheerfully. 'Glad you like it. When you're done, do you want to go walk around?'

'Sure.' Amanda said, stuffing the rest of the bread into her mouth. 'I'm ready.'

'This is a nice forest.' Amanda said, tracing her fingers along a group of leaves.

'Hey, what's that?' Sasha said. 'It looks like a cave.'

Pippin came over. 'You're right.'

Sasha started running. 'Come on, let's go in!' Pippin ran after her.

'Wait!' Amanda called. 'It looks… dangerous…' She hesitated for a minute. She couldn't let them go on their own… 'Wait for me!'

They soon reached the cave. Sasha and Pippin charged in without hesitation. Amanda followed slowly after them.

'Are you sure?' She said, her voice echoing eerily off the walls.

'It's fine.' Pippin said from up ahead. 'The caves are very straight. We can go back just the same way we came in.'

'Okay.' Amanda tried so summon her courage. This was not a good place for someone with a fear of caves.

They went deeper and deeper into the stone caverns. The ceiling sloped down until Amanda and Sasha almost had to duck.

Sasha suddenly tripped, just managing to throw her hands in front of her before she smacked her face on the ground.

'Whoa, what happened?' Amanda said, helping her up.

'I'm not sure.' Sasha said, brushing little rocks off her hands. 'I felt something hard.' She felt around. 'Aha! Here, this is what I tripped over.'

It was an amulet. It had a simple gold chain, with a golden disk as a pendant. The disk was plain, with nothing on it.

'It's pretty, I guess.' Sasha said, turning it over in her hand. She shrugged, and put it around her neck. Amanda noticed she took a slight step back, as if something had startled her. But within a moment it was gone.

'Come on, let's head out.' Sasha said. 'I don't think there's anything else to see.' She started walking back the way they had come.

Amanda fell back beside Pippin. 'Did you notice anything… different about her?' She said.

Pippin looked thoughtful. 'Now that you mention it, yes. And that necklace is weird… let's keep an eye on her.'

He started walking again. Amanda bit her lip. She couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong.

'Sasha?' Amanda called.

Sasha stuck her head out from behind a tree. 'Yes?' She said, almost too innocently.

'Where were you?'

'Nowhere.' Her eyes flicked up to the sky, like a child might when caught stealing cookies.

Amanda frowned. She was _sure_ something was wrong. Sasha wasn't usually like this.

'Gandalf!' Pippin cried, racing down the lane to greet the old wizard.

Amanda hung back, shy. 'Hi.'

Gandalf blew smoke from his pipe. 'Hello, young hobbit. And hello, Amanda. It's good to see you again.'

Amanda waved. 'Sasha, come say hi.' She said.

Sasha stared at Gandalf with a cold gaze. 'Hi.' She muttered.

Gandalf's face became troubled. He beckoned Pippin and Amanda closer. 'That necklace.' He said, his voice low and urgent. 'Where did she get it, and how long has she had it?'

Amanda glanced at Pippin. 'She found it in a cave. She's been wearing it for… maybe… 24 hours?'

Gandalf sighed, running a hand along his beard. 'That necklace is cursed. I believe she's under the influence of Sauron.'

Pippin gaped. 'How do you know?'

'I don't. But I've seen that look in her eyes before.'

'Wait, wait, wait.' Amanda said. 'Sauron was defeated when the one ring was destroyed. How can he possibly be back?'

Gandalf shook his head. 'I do not know for sure. But I have a theory. Once, in my younger days, I found an ancient scroll. It told of a sorceress by the name of Morgana Le Fay-'

'Morgana Le Fay is from King Arthur.' Amanda interrupted. 'Why is she mentioned in Middle-Earth?'

'She is a powerful sorceress.' Gandalf said. 'She likely had the power to go between dimensions. Now, the scroll also revealed that Morgana had worked with Sauron to develop his ring. She, however, believed it was foolish to contain all his power in a single object. So she made a second talisman, containing a small fraction of his power. If Sauron was ever defeated, she enchanted the object to appear somewhere in Middle-Earth.'

'So…' Pippin said slowly. 'You think Sasha picked up this object, and when she put it on, Sauron took control of her?'

Gandalf nodded. 'Because only a little of his power is in the necklace, he likely is taking over her body in small stages. But humans do not have the resilience of hobbits. Have either of you noticed Sasha behaving strangely?'

'Yes.' Amanda said, a feeling of despair washing over her. 'She's been very snappish and angry for no apparent reason, and sometimes she disappears for a couple minutes.'

'We must get the necklace off her at once.' Gandalf said decisively. 'As soon as possible, before Sauron can eat away more of her will.'

Amanda turned around, looking for the familiar face of her friend.

'She's gone!'

 _ **Next Chapter Out By: 11/11/2015**_


	4. Chapter 3 12

_**Chapter Four**_

 **Author's Note: The Elleth Meowen, you were totally right. I need to stop using so many time skips. They're just so handy for scene changes. ;-; But henceforth, I pledge not to use any time skips- Goodbye, easy life. XD**

'What should we do?' Amanda asked urgently, feeling slightly panicky. 'She could be anywhere!'

'Look at this logically.' Gandalf said, infuriatingly calm. 'She can't have gone far, for one. And secondly, there is only one place Sauron would go.'

Amanda was silent for a moment.

'You mean Mordor? Pippin said.

Gandalf put down his pipe. 'Yes, that's exactly what I mean.'

'So… what do we do?' Amanda said, rubbing her forehead.

'We have to intercept her.' Pippin said, a strange light in his eyes. 'Stop her before she gets to Mordor.'

Gandalf nodded, for once in agreement with the mischievous hobbit. 'We have to start at once- before she has time to acquire any sort of transportation.' He pulled out a map of Middle-Earth, pointing to the ink drawings. 'This is where we are now. This-' He traced the route with a long, knobbly finger. 'This is the fastest way to Mordor. But I don't think she'll go there right away.' Gandalf turned to Amanda. 'Does she have any sort of skill to survive in the wilderness?'

Amanda shook her head.

'That's what I thought. She has no idea how to find food or shelter out in the open. Sauron hasn't corrupted her enough to feed her information yet- he's only strong enough to make her feel like she _has_ to go to Mordor. So, because of that, I think Sasha's first stop will be Rivendell. There she can get food, information… then hightail it out of there before the elves notice anything.'

'So we go to Rivendell too?' Amanda asked, expression determined.

'That's the plan.' Gandalf said, rolling up the map.

'Do we start now?' Pippin asked. 'As in, _now_ , now?'

'Of course!' Amanda said. 'We have to save Sasha.'

'You don't happen to have an extra pipe, do you?' Pippin asked Gandalf. Catching a dirty look from Amanda, he added hurriedly, 'Not that it matters, I mean we've got to rescue Sasha, so- yeah.'

Gandalf flicked the reins, and the large grey horse pulling his trademark cart ambled back along the dirt road. Amanda and Pippin trotted alongside him.

'We're coming, Sasha.' Amanda breathed. 'And we'll save you. I promise.'

 **Author's Note: How's that for a dramatic chapter ending? This installment was supposed to be longer… but I thought I wouldn't finish the whole chapter in time. Yeah, I thought my deadline was the 15** **th** **, so I figured I had enough time, then I realized it was the 11** **th** **… but I still got it out on time! I'll just split this chapter into two parts. :D**

 **Next ½ Chapter out by: 12/10/2015**


	5. Chapter 4

_**Chapter Four**_

Adventure.

Somehow, Amanda had imagined adventure as being constantly exciting, full of heated battles and heart-stopping chase scenes. Just like in the books she had read.

But as it turned out, books aren't exactly like real life (that's what makes them fun to read). For her, adventure was listening to the endless _thump-thump-thump_ of her horse's hooves on the leafy forest floor.

Here's the harsh truth- so far, adventure was _boring._ The old Amanda probably would have given up a long time ago. But somewhere along the line, Amanda had gained new strength and resolve, and she wasn't quitting.

The horse she was riding tossed its flaxen mane abruptly, bringing her out of her reverie. Amanda clutched at the reins in a second of panic, worried that the horse might buck her off. Neither Amanda, old or new, had any skill with equines. Luckily, nobody saw her blunder, as she was at the back of the line. Gandalf was in front, then Pippin on a little pony, and finally her.

They had been walking for a couple days now and Gandalf said they were getting close to the town of Bree. That news perked Amanda up. Talk about a scenic route!

About an hour later, they dismounted for the night. 'We should reach Bree at about noon tomorrow.' Pippin said, rolling up a map after checking their position. That was good news, and they all got off their horses in high spirits.

Amanda tied the horses to a tree, hoping that they wouldn't go anywhere.

Pippin was crouched by the kindling fire, and Amanda hurried off to get more dry wood. When she returned, arms full of sticks and twigs, he was demonstrating his culinary skills by cooking some mushrooms. _Hobbits love mushrooms_. She remembered. _Well, it couldn't hurt to give them a try._

As they finished cooking, she hesitantly popped one in her mouth and chewed thoughtfully. It was- delicious!

She ended up having to fight Pippin for the rest of the mushrooms, while Gandalf hung in the background and watched, amused.

Despite the scuffle, everyone went to bed with full stomachs, and before they knew it the sun had risen.

'Time to get going.' Amanda yawned.

Pippin groaned. 'It's too early.' But he got on his pony, albeit a bit grumpily, and they set off. The ride was uneventful, and they reached Bree about half an hour before noon. Their horses were stabled and they headed toward the Prancing Pony, at Amanda's insistence.

'I _have_ to see it.' She said. 'How many other chances am I going to get?'

So they went, and Amanda basked in the authentic Bree atmosphere. Sitting down at a table, she peered around the crowded tavern, half hoping to see a mysterious shadowy caped figure that would reveal itself to be a king.

She did, in fact, see a mysterious shadowy caped figure, but it was not a king. In fact, when it turned her way, she was surprised to see it wasn't fully grown- youthful, in fact. Amanda's eyes narrowed as she began to recognize the body shape- the way her fingers tapped impatiently on the table- could it be?

The figure's hood brushed back slightly, revealing the characteristic single freckle at the corner of her left eye. There was no doubt- it was.

Frantic, Amanda searched for Pippin and Gandalf. Rushing to them, she gasped, 'I saw her! She's here.'

Gandalf was immediately alert, steely eyes scanning the bar. 'There.' She said, grabbing his staff and following the elusive girl, who had just slipped out a back door. 'Come on.'

Pippin trotted after him, abandoning his food- most uncharacteristic, but it was an emergency. The trio burst out of the Prancing Pony, looking around.

Then they heard a low, manic laugh from above them. Six eyes glanced upward to see the object of their search crouched on a tree branch. Her eyes glinted unnaturally, and in her hand she held a long, silver knife.

'And now,' Sasha hissed. 'You die.'

 **Author's Note: Yeah, splitting chapter 4 into two was wimpy. But at least I'm writing, right? And just think of it like… like how the last Harry Potter movie was split into two. I'm just maximizing the entertainment!**

 **Anyway, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!**

 **Next Chapter will be out by: 1/10/16**


	6. Chapter 5

_**Chapter 5**_

 **Author's Note: Oh, CRAP, I missed the deadline. *headdesk* So sorry, I completely forgot! Thought the deadline was the 15** **th** **again… feel free to beat me up. XD**

 **Also, so I realized right after posting Chapter 4 that instead of being an idiot and calling it chapters '3.0 and 3.5' I could have just made them separate chapters. Oh, I'm so stupid sometimes. But anyway! On to the story.**

Sasha adjusted the blade in her hand, eyes glinting evilly. She moved closer.

'Gandalf, do something!' Amanda hissed, terrified.

The wizard stepped forward, raising his staff. But before he could cast a spell, figures dropped out of the trees and encircled us- about a dozen elves, all with bows drawn and arrows pointing straight at Sasha.

'Stop!' I said, waving my hands. 'Don't shoot!'

The elves retreated a step, eyes narrowing in confusion as I defended the person who had been about to kill me. But one second of hesitation was all that Sasha needed.

She hissed in fury, then darted through the ranks of elves and disappeared.

Two elves broke from the group. One, young-looking, raced after Sasha. And the other, who was taller, moved in to talk to us.

'Who was that?' The elf said, nodding toward the place where Sasha had vanished.

'A… friend gone rogue.' Gandalf replied evasively. 'What are you doing here?'

'We stopped for a drink in Bree.'

'Who are you?' Pippin said.

'Glawarbaen.' He said. The second elf jogged gracefully out of the trees and stopped by Glawarbaen's side. 'And this is my son, Caenir.'

'I'm sorry, father.' Caener said. 'I followed her trail, but it seems she took to the trees soon after entering the wood. She is… unusually skilled at hiding traces of her flight. I lost her.'

'That's all right.' Glawarbaen said, resting a hand on his son's shoulder. 'She is already being tracked by Gandalf, a hobbit, and a human girl.'

Caener turned to them with interest, brown eyes flashing as he studied them.

'He could help us.' Amanda suggested timidly.

Gandalf and Pippin huddled around her in a half-circle. 'What are you thinking?' Pippin said in a whisper.

'Well, he _could._ ' Amanda defended herself. 'Even if he lost Sasha this time, he definitely can help us track her.'

'Hmm.' Gandalf thought. 'That's not a bad idea. Let's see how he replies. If he wants to, we can see how Caener fits in. If he declines, we're no worse off.'

Amanda and Pippin nodded in assent, and they turned back to the waiting elves, who had also been conversing amongst themselves.

'If you will accept me, I would certainly join you in your quest to hunt down this 'friend gone rogue'.' Caener said.

'Then it's settled.' Amanda said, a tad too eagerly. Her cheeks colored, and she retreated a bit.

Caener stepped forward to stand with the wizard, the hobbit, and the girl, while Sasha ran further away, getting ever closer to Mordor.

 **Next Chapter will be out by: 2/13/16 (I hope!)**


	7. Quick Author's Note

**Author's Note: Yes, I know, I missed the deadline. By a lot. . I just haven't been feeling it lately, y'know? And real life's gotten busier. So my chapters will probably be shorter and farther between, at least until I get into the LoTR mood.** **I kinda feel bad about it, though, so I'll try to write this one reasonably quickly. XD**


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